Former Mayor Looks
Forward and Back
Lara Anderson, Dana Point’s last mayor and
city council member of eight years, discusses
time in office, looks toward the future
E Y E O N D P/ PAG E 5
Former Dana Point Mayor Lara Anderson steps down from the city council, having termed
out after completing the maximum two four-year terms. Photo by Andrea Swayne

www.danapointtimes.com

Business Beat: Featuring
Spring Boutique and
Dana Point Gold & Coin

Alpay Named
New President of
CUSD Board

County Supervisors
Approve Harbor Marina
Improvement Project

EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

EYE ON DP/PAGE 3

EYE ON DP

1

LOCAL NEWS & IN-DEPTH REPORTING

Dana Point Times, Vol. 5, Issue 49. The DP Times (www.danapointtimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media,
publishers of the SC Times (www.sanclementetimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (www.thecapistranodispatch.
com). Copyright: No articles, illustrations, photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be
reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return of
unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos or negatives. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

THE LATEST: In its final meeting of the
year, the Capistrano Unified School District
Board of Trustees welcomed back trustees
John Alpay and Gary Pritchard to the dais
and officially swore in new trustees Amy
Hanacek and Jim Reardon on Monday,
December 10.
Alpay, who won his re-election bid in
Area 3, which covers San Clemente, was
elected board president by a 5-1 vote,
with Reardon abstaining. Reardon initially
nominated trustee Lynn Hatton for the
position, which was supported by trustee
Ellen Addonizio’s vote. However, when the
vote came to Hatton, she elected to support
Alpay.
Hatton was later unanimously elected as
vice president of the board. Trustee Anna
Bryson was unanimously elected as clerk.
The reorganization of the board comes
off what many voters and trustees called a
difficult and contentious election season.
WHAT’S NEXT: The next regular board
meeting will take place January 7.
FIND OUT MORE: To listen to audio from
the meeting, visit www.capousd.org.
—Brian Park

2

…SONGS?

THE LATEST: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss the proposed restart of
the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
on December 18, but will not be doing so
locally.
A press release sent out by the NRC
Monday announced that the regulatory
agency would be meeting with Southern
California Edison to discuss the utility’s
restart plan December 18, from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. (1 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time), in RockDana Point Times December 14–20, 2012

ville, Md. The utility met with NRC officials
November 30 to discuss its response to the
NRC’s confirmatory action letter, detailing
how it planned to respond to the wear found
in Unit 2 and the causes of the leakage in
Unit 3 this past January.
WHAT’S NEXT: The meeting will be
webcast live for those unable to attend the
meeting in Maryland. The release also
states that those interested can also phone
into the meeting via teleconference.
The release noted that the NRC would be
discussing the restart proposal but explicitly stated that no decisions on restarting
the plant would be made at the hearing.
FIND OUT MORE: The full release, including information about contacting the
commission to be on the teleconference can
be found at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/news/2012/12-126.pdf.
—Jim Shilander

3

… the Harbor?

THE LATEST: The Orange County Board
of Supervisors on December 11 voted
unanimously to approve certification of the
Subsequent Environmental Impact Report,
or SEIR, for the waterside marina improvement portion of the OC Dana Point Harbor
Revitalization Plan.
Marina improvement will include Americans with Disabilities Act compliant accessibility ramps and a reduction of as many as
155 slips.
Harbor Director Brad Gross has said in
the past that the county will endeavor to
maintain a zero slip loss but pointed out
that since there have been roughly 180
vacant slips over the past few years, that the
maximum 155 loss would not displace any
boaters.
Elements such as the originally proposed
docks at Baby Beach were taken out of the

approved version of the plan.
The $140 million Harbor Revitalization
Plan has been in the works since 1997 and
there have been more than 150 meetings
held on the subject since.

by the county on November 1. County
Librarian Helen Fried last month said that
although a reopening date is yet to be
determined, she estimates a tentative date
of January 1, 2013.

WHAT’S NEXT: The county’s next step will
be to prepare specific construction designs
to be included in the application to the
California Coast Commission for a Coastal
Development Permit.

FIND OUT MORE: For more on this story,
see www.danapointtimes.com. —AS

FIND OUT MORE: See www.ocdph.com and
www.coastal.ca.gov for more information.
—Andrea Swayne

4

…Friends of the Library?

THE LATEST: The Friends of the Dana
Point Library has a newly elected board
after a vote was taken Sunday.
The vote was part of the Friends organization’s annual meeting and reorganization
set for each December.
No members of the past Friends board
ran for reelection but the four candidates
they supported were voted in.
The election comes after months of
conflict between the former Friends board
and a group of former volunteers dubbed
Save Our Bookstore.
Save Our Bookstore was unsuccessful
in their efforts to hold a recall election in
October to oust the former board after
being angered by what they called the
unwarranted dismissal of volunteers.
The former board maintained that their
actions were in the best interest of the
bookstore and were a result of misconduct
among volunteers.
WHAT’S NEXT: The following newly
elected Friends board is set to take over
January 1: Carol Wassman, president; Rick
Conner, vice president; Mary Mashoof,
treasurer and Carrie Karas, secretary.
The bookstore was temporarily closed

Page 3

5

…DP Man’s
Murder Conviction?

THE LATEST: The Dana Point man accused of murdering one man and injuring
another in a 2011 New Year’s Eve fight was
convicted Wednesday.
Adam Randy Baker, 25, of Dana Point
was found guilty of one felony count each
for second degree murder and attempted
murder with a sentencing enhancement for
use of a deadly weapon, authorities said.
According to a report from the Orange
County District Attorney’s Office, on January 1, 2011 Baker was sitting on a bench
near the valet parking area of the Costa
Mesa Hilton Hotel after attending a New
Year’s Eve party. He flicked a cigarette at a
group of men exiting the hotel and started
arguing with one of the men.
Robert Sickles, 27, stepped in between Baker and the other man (Sickles’
brother). Baker shoved Sickles then pulled
out a knife, slashed him across the chest
and stabbed him once in the chest. Brian
McTeigue, 26, intervened and was stabbed
once in the back by Baker, the report said.
Sickles died as a result of the stab
wound to his chest.
WHAT’S NEXT: Baker faces a maximum
sentence of 23 years to life in state prison.
His sentencing is scheduled for February 8, 2013, 9 a.m. in Department C-45 at
the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
FIND OUT MORE: See www.occourts.org.
—AS
www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

Former Mayor Looks Forward and Back
Lara Anderson, Dana Point’s last mayor and council member of eight years, recalls time in office, looks ahead
By Andrea Swayne
Dana Point Times

M

uch of December 4’s Dana Point
City Council meeting was dedicated to bidding farewell to 2012
Mayor Lara Anderson as she ended her
eight-year term on the council.
Having termed out after completing the
maximum two four-year terms, the meeting was her last as a councilwoman—for
at least two years, when she will have the
opportunity to run again for city council,
should she choose to do so.
Fellow council member and Mayor-elect
for 2013 Steven Weinberg, who officiated
the farewell presentations, joked that the
evening seemed almost like an episode
of “This is Your Life” for Anderson. Many
community members, colleagues, friends
and city staff members took turns at the
podium offering kind words, thanks,
awards and tokens of appreciation to the
popular city councilwoman.
When the speeches and presentations
wrapped up, Anderson was joined by her
husband Andrew and their daughters, ages
3 and 5, for a final photo with her council
colleagues to commemorate the evening.
As she bid adieu to her time on the
council, Anderson was anything but
reticent about her intentions to remain
involved in the community on some level.
But she also hinted that being no longer
tied to city government will offer a chance
for her to explore other options, both with
regard to geography and commitments.
Anderson moved to Dana Point in 1997
and quickly became a volunteer at the
San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter.
Shortly thereafter, she joined the boards
of the Animal Rescue Foundation (now
known as the Pet Project Foundation) and
the Lantern Village Association. It was in
this capacity that she began attending city
council meetings regularly.
“Both organizations frequently had business before the city council so I started
going to meetings and was appalled at the
way citizens were treated. Meetings always
started late, public speakers were ignored
and the community wasn’t being served
like I thought it should be,” Anderson said.
“I figured I could do a better job and ran
in 2002.”
That year, Anderson launched a smallbudget grassroots campaign against what
she referred to as some serious political
firepower and lost by a mere 275 votes.
She gave it another go in 2004. This time
she was successful. In 2008 she earned the
distinction as the Dana Point City Council
candidate earning the largest number of
votes, 9.390, in city election history.
Looking back at the eight-year list of
projects, issues and decisions she was
involved in as a council member, Anderson
regards her time on the dais as generally
Dana Point Times December 14-20, 2012

Lara Anderson, Dana Point’s 2012 mayor and eight-year city council member, pauses for a photo as she leaves
City Hall having termed out of office in December. Photo by DyAnne Weamire

satisfying.
The retrospective includes such important city matters as her 2004 to 2006
participation on the Town Center Advisory
Committee for the development and approval of the Town Center Revitalization
Plan; a number of water quality improvement projects such as ozone treatment
systems at Salt Creek (2005) and North
Creek, Doheny State Beach (2008-2009);
the creation of the Parks, Recreation and
Open Space Master Plan (2005); numerous improvement to and additions of city
parks and events; the establishment of the
Tourism Business Improvement District
(2009); successful Styrofoam and plastic
bag bans (2012) and much more.
Anderson’s last official event as mayor,
the November 27 groundbreaking for the
Town Center southern gateway project,
brought her council career full circle as
she officiated the kick off of the first of
many planned improvements in the downtown revitalization plan.
We caught up with Anderson recently
and asked her to reminisce on her time
as a city councilwoman and talk about
what her future may hold. Here is some
of what she had to say, delivered with all
the candor and wit she has become known
and admired for.
DP TIMES: What do you consider your
most important accomplishment while on
city council and why?
ANDERSON: Being part of the team that
brought stability, efficiency and a higher
standard of government to City Hall and
the council meetings. Dana Point matured
a lot as a city over the last eight years and
can now focus on ambitious projects that
will shape our future, like Town Center

and the Doheny Village Plan.
What was one of your biggest frustrations and why?
Finding biodegradable dog poop bags
that you can actually open, with handle
ties, for the city’s dispensers! They don’t
seem to exist. As for why this frustrates
me; no explanation is needed if you’ve got
a dog.
You have been an outspoken opponent
to short-term vacation rentals. How do
you feel about the issue as it stands? What
hopes do you have for a resolution in the
future?
I’m disappointed we weren’t able to
resolve it during my term but I expect
the council will address the item soon
and take action. I would like to see the
city enforce the existing code and not
allow short-term rentals in our residential neighborhoods. But since I was the
Lone Ranger with that opinion, a program
allowing, regulating and taxing them is
likely imminent.
Looking back, do you have any regrets
or anything you would have changed about
your time on the council?
I don’t live life with any regrets and I
wouldn’t make changes because everything leads to the place you are now.
I’ve always tried to do the right thing
for the community. The only vote I feel
badly over is one that hurt someone I
really cared about. It became obvious at
the council meeting he didn’t have the
support for an appointment on the Planning Commission and I wanted to show
the person I voted for that he had my
confidence, rather than use the vote on
my friend. I had no idea it would hurt his
feelings so much and for that I’m sorry,
but I stand by my vote.

Page 5

What message would you like to leave
the new city council with?
Listen to the residents, understand the
role of a council member is essentially a
public servant functioning on a board of
directors, and respect the staff working as
professionals for the city as their career.
What message would you like to leave
the citizens of Dana Point with?
Thank you for all your support and
friendship throughout the years.
What are you most looking forward to
about not being on the council?
Not having to field the complaints,
insults and criticisms that tend to come
via email late in the evening; likely after
the sender has enjoyed several glasses of
wine.
What will you miss most about it?
Helping people and making positive
contributions to the community on the
governmental level, and seeing the people
at City Hall on a regular basis.
Will you continue to be involved in the
city, and if so, in what capacity?
It depends on if we stay in Dana Point.
For the first time in a long while I’m untethered from a mooring and considering
the best options for my family.
Will you share a few cherished memories from your time on the council?
Watching my girls go from babies, to
crawling, to walking, to taking over Jackie
and Fran’s office at City Hall, summer
concerts, Volunteer of the Month presentations and all the friends I’ve made and
the fun we’ve had over the years.
What do you consider most special
about the city of Dana Point and its citizens?
The small town atmosphere, friendly
people and the natural beauty that surrounds us. The spirit of volunteerism
is exceptional in our town and it’s truly
heartwarming to see so many of our citizens reaching out to help others and work
together on worthwhile causes.
Have you decided whether you will run
again in two years?
Let’s put this in perspective; if I didn’t
run again until 20 years from now, I’d still
be younger than three out of four candidates in the last election.
Do you intend to run for any higher
office?
No.
How did you spend your first couple of
weeks off the council?
I went to the Winter Festival, the
dentist and helped with the election at the
library. Other than feeling a bit lighter
with fewer obligations, it wasn’t much
different than any other week, nor did I
expect it to be. I never got wrapped up
in the title, I always considered myself a
regular resident serving on the council as
another volunteer position, just trying to
make my community better. DP
www.danapointtimes.com

EYE ON DP

DP
Sheriff’s
Blotter
SPONSORED BY

Dana Point Police Services
www.HideitLockitOrLoseit.com
COMP I LE D BY K EVIN DA H LGRE N
All information below is obtained from the Orange
County Sheriff’s Department website. The calls represent what was told to the deputy in the field by the
radio dispatcher. The true nature of an incident often
differs from what is initially reported. No assumption
of criminal guilt or affiliation should be drawn from
the content of the information provided. An arrest
doesn’t represent guilt. The items below are just a
sampling of the entries listed on the OCSD Web site.

Monday, December 10
SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE
Del Obispo Street, 34200 Block (12:44
a.m.) A local business owner called police
after two juveniles turned off water to his
business. The caller told police that the
boys, who had since left the premises,
had previously been skateboarding in the
parking lot.

Sunday, December 9
KEEP THE PEACE
La Serena Drive, 34100 Block (7:14 p.m.)
A woman called police when her exboyfriend, who had previously offered to
loan her money for rent, was refusing to
give her the loan. The woman told police
that she was also concerned for the safety
of their six-month-old child who was at the
residence with the man and his “druggie
friends.”
SUSPICIOUS PERSON/CIRCUMSTANCE
El Encanto Avenue, 34000 Block (3:22
p.m.) A teenage-boy’s father called police
after the boy told him that several men
outside of an apartment complex attempted to sell the teen drugs. The caller
told the desk that he knew there was drug
use occurring in the laundry room of the
apartment complex and demanded that
deputies patrol check the area.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT-UNKNOWN INJURES
Pacific Coast Highway/Dana Point Harbor
Drive (2:13 p.m.) A gray Mercedes
reportedly crashed into a black sports
utility vehicle before driving away from
the scene of the accident. A few minutes
earlier, a car matching the description of
the gray Mercedes was allegedly involved
in another traffic collision. A witness
told officers that a gray or silver colored
Mercedes had hit her head-on at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Del

Obispo Street. The driver of the Mercedes
then fled the scene, heading eastbound on
Del Obispo Street.
ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY
Golden Lantern, 33200 Block (6:47 a.m.)
Animal Control was called to gather a
group of aggressive dogs wandering
around outside City Hall. A witness
told police that several of the dogs had
growled at her as she passed them on her
morning walk.

Saturday, December 8
TRAFFIC HAZARD
Camino Capistrano/I-5 Freeway (5:09
p.m.) A call to the police reported a
disabled vehicle with no hazard lights
on parked on the freeway exit ramp at
Camino Capistrano. The call was made
because the driver of the disabled vehicle
was reportedly attempting to flag down
other drivers for help and the caller was
concerned that the man might get hit by a
passing car.
MUNICIPAL CODE VIOLATIONS
Dana Drive, 25000 Block (10:11 a.m.)
Several bicyclists were seen on the walking trail where signs prohibiting bicycles
are posted. The caller told deputies that
one of the cyclists had nearly run her over
as he passed her.
KEEP THE PEACE

Seastar Court, 0 Block (3:36 a.m.) A taxi
driver called police after the two men he
was driving home left the cab and did not
return to pay their fare. The driver told police that the front door to their residence
was still open and it appeared the men had
passed out inside the home. Officers were
able to make contact with the men and the
taxi driver was paid without incident.

Friday, December 7
TRESPASSING
Golden Lantern, 32500 Block (8:43 p.m.)
A group of intoxicated men was seen causing a disturbance outside of Starbucks.
A witness told police that the men were
arguing very loudly in the parking area
between Starbucks and Burger King and
refused to leave the area when asked to do
so by an employee of the coffee shop.
DISTURBANCE
Big Sur Street, 33100 Block (6:45 p.m.)
Police were called after a man walking
down the street threatened to kill everyone in the neighborhood. The caller told
police that the man was a magazine salesman who frequently went door-to-door in
the area, but was now walking thought the
neighborhood yelling threats at passersby.
The caller did not want the man to be
prosecuted, but simply wished for the
man to leave the neighborhood. Deputies
located the individual and advised him to
leave the area.

EYE ON DP

Business Beat

BY ANDREA SWAYNE

News and updates on San Clemente’s business community

NOW OPEN
u Spring Boutique, 34491 Golden Lantern,
949.489.1223, www.facebook.com/DanaPointSpringBoutique
Magdy Siam, eight-year owner of The
Country Fox in the Mariners Alley shops at
the Dana Point Harbor, last month rented a
spot across the walkway for a new boutique
named Spring.
“My nephew Christian Karam has partnered with me as a co-owner and manager

Christian Karam of Spring Boutique in the Mariners
Alley shops at the Dana Point Harbor. Photo by
Andrea Swayne

of Spring. We decided to expand by adding
another store to carry unique women’s
clothing, accessories and shoes. The Country Fox will carry mainly souvenir wear and
gifts but we will continue to offer our most
popular lines of shoes from Fly Flot and
Propét,” Siam said.
Spring carries an impressive selection of
creatively designed clothing, made in the
USA by brands such as Cut Loose, Peanut
Punch and Cubism, cool gauze designs by
Oh My Gauze!, hand-dyed artisan crafted
silk scarves from Laguna Beach, Spring Step
shoes, mint and rose espadrilles from Spain,
hand bags and a full line of accessories.
“As the newest boutique in the Harbor we
are excited to offer a wide selection of new
lines and in honor of our grand opening we
are offering buy one, get one for 40 percent
off on all shoes, through the holidays,”
Karam said.
Spring opens every day at 10 a.m. and
closes Sunday through Thursday at 6 p.m.
and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
u Dana Point Gold & Coin, 24422 Del
Prado, 949.545.6777, www.dpgoldandcoin.com
Dana Point Gold & Coin opened in October on Del Obispo next door to Dana Point
Hardware by Brad Pierce and Kevin Borba.

The two buy and sell gold, silver, jewelry,
coins, bullion, currency, diamonds, watches
and more and also offer expert appraisals.
“My father has been in the business for
33 years and this is our second generation
family owned coin and jewelry store. I have
studied extensively under my dad and managed his Huntington Beach store for the past
four years” Pierce said. “We decided to open
in Dana Point for its small town feel and
proximity to the ocean. We believe the city
needs a service like ours and as surfers we
were happy to locate here, near some of the
best surf breaks in the county.”

Looking for a special present? Dana Point
Gold & Coin often has unique estate jewelry
for sale, along with rare coins for the collectors on your gift list.
“We are fair and accurate with our
pricing and are eager to earn loyal repeat
customers who are happy to refer us to others,” Pierce said.
The store is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Appointments are available but not
necessary and the two say they are happy
to make house calls to evaluate and make
offers on estate collections. DP

GETTING
OUT

YOUR SEVEN-DAY EVENT PLANNER

DP

D a n a Po i
nt

THE LIST
A day-by-day guide to what’s happening in
and around town. COMPILED BY TAWNEE PRAZAK

OLD TOWN SAN CLEMENTE
CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Shopping event
featuring South Orange County’s
creations and handiwork at. Also
features music and a fashion
show. 111 W. Avenida Palizada, San Clemente, scchristmasattendee2012.eventbrite.com.

15

Dana Point Times December 14–20, 2012

ON STAGE AT THE COACH HOUSE: AMERICA
America is coming to the Coach House to celebrate the holidays. Known traditionally for their iconic rock in the ’70s such as “A Horse with No Name,” and
“Sister Golden Hair,” among others, this rock group is coming to the southern
California venue to jingle bell rock and promote their new Christmas album.
No stranger to the Coach House, vocalist and guitar player Dewey Bunnell
describes the group as “a southern California band” and says they’ve played
at the venue dozens of times over the years. “It’s an intimate venue, as small
as we usually play. We’ve always enjoyed it because we’ve got lots of friends
in southern California. It’s nice to be in our home area and to play an intimate
venue with our friends,” said Bunnell. Bunnell describes the four-decades-old
Courtesy photo
America as “a real touring band.” The duo has performed their hits all over
the world and is still touring to this day. Their next stop is New Zealand. As of now, America is focusing on promoting their
newly released Christmas album, Holiday Harmony, which features traditional Christmas songs as well as originals. America
will be playing at the Coach House on Friday, December 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $75 and the doors open at 6 p.m. For more
information, tickets or dinner reservations, see www.thecoachhouse.com or call 949.496.8930. —Ariana Crisafulli

SANTA PAWS PET PHOTOS 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Have your
pet’s picture taken with Santa in the El Torito Courtyard
in the Dana Point Harbor for a small fee that will benefit
Pet Project Foundation. www.petprojectfoundation.org
ASTRONOMY NIGHT 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Gaze into
the night sky through telescopes with astronomers at
The Reserve/Richard and Donna O’Neill Land Conservancy. Donation $5-$10. Call for info and directions,
949.489.9778, www.theconservancy.org.
CHRIS CRAM 8 p.m. Live music at Wind & Sea Restaurant. 34699 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, 949.496.6500,
www.windandsearestaurants.com.
DANMAN’S KIDS CONCERT 1 p.m.-3 p.m. StillWater
presents dozens of kids performing solo, duets, or in
front of a backing band. 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point,
949.661.6003, www.danapointstillwater.com.
HOLIDAY TOY EXPRESS 6:45 p.m. Holiday event at
the San Juan Capistrano Train Station with a holiday
show, lots of lights, and Santa Claus. New and unwrapped
toys will be collected for the “Spark of Love Toy Drive.”
949.361.8254, www.metrolinktrains.com.

SUDOKU
by Myles Mellor
Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been
subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To
solve the puzzle, each row, column and box must contain
each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades:
easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium
Last week’s solution:

The Downside of Long-distance Relationships
T
he Internet is a valuable tool for
singles over 50 to reach out beyond
their social circle and meet potential
mates who might live a block away, in another city, another state or even in a different country. Without the Internet, meeting
these people would likely never happen.
The majority of online encounters create
long-distance relationships, which can be
difficult because it’s hard to get to know
the real person when you only see each
other occasionally. Plus, you don’t know if
someone else is involved.
Brenda is 69, divorced, and has been
meeting men online for seven years. She is
a retired critical care nurse who describes
herself as “self sufficient, home owner,
great cook, world traveler, art collector,
kind, supporting and caring, totally stable.”
She said, “I recently met a wonderful
man on Chemistry.com. He has a gentle
soul and after a 29-year marriage in which
his wife offered only criticism, not any
kudos for his loving ways, he got both of

his children through
college and then walked
out. He knew there had
to be a better life with a
woman who appreciated
him.”
Brenda likes that he
is not afraid to express
his thoughts about the
ON LIFE AND
LOVE AFTER 50 way she makes him
By Tom Blake
feel. “Everyone wants to
know they are appreciated, even for small
spontaneous gestures. You get that warm,
fuzzy feeling inside when that happens,”
Brenda said.
“We have a strong emotional connection. Nothing physical yet; he told me he
wanted to go slow and enjoy the ‘get-toknow-you period,’ which is fine with me.”
They live 100 miles apart, but still have
managed to see each other five times.
She was optimistic that they had a future
together.
They were supposed to meet last Sun-

day night for dinner. She said, “We communicated Saturday morning. Everything
was great. He said he would call Saturday
at 9 p.m. He didn’t. All kinds of things
went through my head: Was he in an accident? Had he lost his phone? Was he with
someone else?”
Brenda got her answer Sunday morning: “He called to tell me he had a date
with another lady and had just gotten
home! I didn’t know he was seeing another woman,” Brenda said.
“He had no remorse or guilt. He said
they were trying ‘it’ out to see if they were
compatible in that area! Trust is big with
me. He wants us to continue seeing each
other.”
She asked for my opinion.
I knew she was hurt and still had hopes
for a relationship. Without question, I
thought she should dump him, but instead
I said, “Let the dust settle, you will figure
it out.”
Because of the 100 miles between them,

they couldn’t meet face-to-face to discuss
what had happened.
Brenda pondered the situation for a few
hours. Then, she emailed, “I won’t have
any connection with him anymore. Being
a nurse, and knowing of the increase
of STDs in the over-60 age group, I am
adamant on testing. What I now know of
his promiscuity, I don’t want anything to
do with him. It’s not worth my health and
safety.”
Good decision Brenda. Long-distance
relationships can be challenging.
To comment: tompblake@gmail.com
Tom Blake is a San Clemente resident
and Dana Point business owner who has
authored three books on middle-aged dating.
For dating information: www.FindingLoveAfter50.com. To comment: tompblake@
gmail.com.
The next 50-plus singles Meet and
Greet is Thursday, December 13, at 5
p.m. at Tutor and Spunky’s Deli. www.
TutorandSpunkys.com. DP

George Guererro lights the newly planted tree at the
site on Camino de Estrella where the official Capistrano Beach Christmas tree previously stood. The old
tree, planted in 1987 and marked with a commemorative monument at its base, was taken down by a
storm squall in April. Photo by Andrea Swayne

Santa gets a big hug from Gavin Petin, 4.
Photo by Andrea Swayne

Cambria McLeod and daughter Audrey, 10 mos.,
check out a giant snowman decoration while
waiting to see Santa. Photo by Andrea Swayne

It’s Beginning
to Look a Lot
Like…
A
s the Christmas holiday nears
and the eight days of Hanukkah
continue through December 16 ,
Dana Point is getting decked out for the
season. From festive displays—menorahs,
giant inflatable snow globes and strings of
multi-colored lights—decorating residents’ homes to photo ops with Santa at
the Harbor, the city has taken on a festive
air. Here are a few photos from the past
week to get you into the spirit. DP

GET YOUR BUSINESS LISTED TODAY.
Call Angela Edwards at 949.682.1667 or
e-mail aedwards@danapointtimes.com.

SPORTS

4

& OUTDOORS
STORIES, SCORES, SCHEDULES & MORE

DP

D a n a Po i
nt

DOLPHIN GIRLS HOOPS SET TO HOST
INAUGURAL NORTH VS. SOUTH CHALLENGE

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

On December 22, 12 teams from all
over Orange County will travel to Dana
Hills High to take part in the inaugural North vs. South Girls Basketball
Challenge. The one-day exhibition will
exclusively feature teams from north
Orange County playing against teams
from the south with bragging rights on
the line.
The event is the result of an offseason effort by second year head coach
Rob Cullinan to try and raise the profile
of girls basketball in the county.
Here is a schedule of the six games

set to take place at the Dana Hills
gym, which features several local
teams. Teams from the north are
listed on the left, with teams from the
south on the right.

season for the Dolphins (1-4). Dana Hills
was set to play Westminster on December
13. Results were not available at press
time.
Next Game: 12/18 vs. University, 7 p.m.

Dolphin
Report

BOYS SOCCER • The Dolphins had
three different players score in a 3-2 nonleague victory over Edison on December 5. Junior forward Jake Allen, junior
midﬁelder Christian Gunther and senior
midﬁelder Vicente Ruiz all notched a goal
in the win while senior keeper Rony Alay
tallied six saves. The Dolphins scored
two goals in the ﬁrst half and one in the
second to stave off Edison.
Newport Harbor jumped out to an early
2-0 lead in the ﬁrst half against Dana Hills
on December 7 and held on for a 3-1 nonleague win at Hicks Park. The Dolphins’
(2-2) lone goal came in the second half.
Next Game: 12/14 at Capistrano Valley,
4:30 p.m.

By Steve Breazeale

DOLPHINS SINK SAILORS WITH
CHARGED OFFENSE • In a non-league
match against visiting Newport Harbor on
December 11, the Dana Hills girls soccer
team had plenty of opportunities to score,
dominated ball possession and came away
with a 1-0 victory.
The Dolphins (4-0-1) ﬁnal goal tally
could have been much higher, and it was
apparent from the opening minutes that
they were searching for goals early and
often.
Defender Liz Durst opened the Dolphin
shooting barrage with a strike from about
25 yards out that Newport Harbor goalie
Rowan Fredericksen reeled in conﬁdently.
Fredericksen would remain solid in the
net for the Sailors (1-2-1) until the last
three minutes of the half when the Dolphins ﬁnally broke through with a goal.
At the 37-minute mark the Dolphins’
Cailey Laidlaw sent a sailing free kick
ball from 40 yards out deep into the box
and onto the head of teammate Rachel
Edelstein. Edelstein completed the play by
redirecting the ball past Fredericksen and
into the left hand side of the net to put the
Dolphins up 1-0.
“Laidlaw played a free kick ball and
played it beautifully to Edelstein,” Dolphins head coach Sheena Jarvis said. “It
was actually a really pretty goal.”
The Dolphins were rewarded with two
corner kicks in the opening forty minutes
and recorded ﬁve shots on goal.
The story was much of the same in the
second half, with the Dolphins pressing
the offensive issue against the visitors.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Fredericksen was up for the task. 10 minutes into
the second half the Dolphins had a clear
breakaway opportunity, but a ﬁngertip
save by the Sailors junior keeper deﬂected
Dana Point Times December 14–20, 2012

The Dolphins (1-4) marquee matchup will be against a tough Los Alamitos
team that boasts an 8-2 overall record.
Read more about the Dolphins girls
basketball team in our weekly Dolphin
Report. —Steve Breazeale

Dana Hills forward Brittany Mueller receives a pass from a teammate during the Dolphins non-league match
against Newport Harbor on December 11. The Dolphins won 1-0. Photo by Kevin Dahlgren

the Dana Hills shot attempt away and off
the post. Fredericksen wound up with
seven saves on the day.
“We had a lot of opportunities on goal,
nothing could get in other than (the Edelstein goal). But a win is a win so I’m happy
with that,” Jarvis said.
The Dolphins now prepare for the
Mater Dei Premier Invitational, which features some of the best teams the county,
and neighboring San Diego, has to offer.
Dana Hills will open their tournament
on December 19 in a game against Los
Alamitos at 6:45 p.m. at Mater Dei High.
The Dolphins will also face Bishop Amat
on December 20 at 4 p.m. and Foothill on
December 21 at 5:25 p.m.
The Dolphin squad is made up of
returning players as well as a handful of
newcomers and Jarvis believes games like
the one played on December 11 will help
the Dolphins in the future.
“We worked out a lot of stuff (on December 11)…It’s still early in our season
so we’re trying out a few different things,”
Jarvis said. “Half these girls are new this

year so they’re still trying to learn how
each other’s games work…A game like
this is one (against Newport Harbor) is
one step closer to learning how to play
with one another.”
BOYS BASKETBALL • As a result of
their 5-3 record the Dana Hills boys basketball team has been ranked No. 15 in the
CIF-SS Division 1A polls as of December
11. The Dolphins are currently playing in
the Irvine World News Classic and opened
the tournament with back-to-back wins.
The Dolphins defeated Irvine 64-50 on
December 10 and Northwood, 60-39, on
December 12. Dana Hills was set to play
University on December 13. Results were
not available at press time.
Next Game: 12/14 vs. El Dorado, Irvine
World News Classic, 6 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL • The Dolphins
ended a four game skid by defeating Western 45-40 in a close contest in the opening
round of the Ocean View Tournament on
December 10. The win was the ﬁrst of the

Page 16

WRESTLING • After posting back-toback second place ﬁnishes at preseason
tournaments, the Dolphins took to the
road on December 11 to open up league
play against Capistrano Valley and came
away with a convincing 51-15 victory to
start their ﬁrst year back in South Coast
League competition.
Next Match: 12/14 at the Ed Springs
Classic, Brea High, 9 a.m.
GIRLS WATER POLO • The Dolphins
have had a busy preseason schedule to
start their 2012 campaign and so far have
a 7-6 record to show for it. From December 1 to December 11 the Dolphins have
played in nine games, going 5-4 over the
stretch. The Dolphin wins in that time
have come against Valhalla, Canyon, Villa
Park, Troy, and St. Lucy’s. The team’s
most recent game was on December 11,
which ended up being a 12-6 loss to Martin Luther King. The Dolphins have one
more game on their preseason schedule
before they open league play against San
Clemente on January 8.
Next Game: 12/14 vs. Warren, at Fullerton College, 4:15 p.m.
www.danapointtimes.com

DP SURF

5

SCOOP ON THE LOCAL SURF COMMUNITY

DP

D a n a Po i
nt

GROM OF THE WEEK Malia Ward
Age: 15, Cal Prep Academy , San Clemente High School
Malia Ward was the youngest, and the only female, caddying for a professional surfer in the
lineup at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore during the Vans World Cup of Surfing, the
second of three contests in this year’s Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. As the daughter of professional surfer Chris Ward, Malia was given a nod of confidence by her dad and invited to serve
as his official board caddy for his December 2 through 4 heats in the event. Caddies must paddle out on an extra board for their competitor in case the surfer breaks the one they are riding.
After handing the board off to the surfer, the caddy must then swim back in unassisted. Should
a caddy need assistance returning to the beach, the surfer will be charged with an interference.
“It was amazing and it made me feel really brave and tough to be out there with pros like Sunny
Garcia and CJ Hobgood,” Malia said. “You have to keep an eye on the beach and always know
where you are; make sure you’re not in the contest area where the big waves are breaking. I
was excited to be out there watching my dad rip. It was my first time out at Sunset but I hope
Malia Ward. Photo by Andrea Swayne
to compete there in the future too.” Caddying wasn’t the only memorable experience Malia
made during the Triple Crown. She also had the honor of serving as an on-camera webcast host for The Surfing Channel’s
coverage of the Surfer magazine Surfer Poll Awards. —Andrea Swayne

Third Prime event of the
season held in San Clemente
By Andrea Swayne
Dana Point Times

T

he third event of the six-contest Surfing America Prime West series went
down December 8 and 9 at T Street
Beach in San Clemente with plenty of success for local surfers, a live webcast and a
charity toy drive.
Two of five divisions and five of 20 trophies were won by local surfers as a worldwide audience looked on via a live webcast.
The annual Prime series tradition of hosting
a Camp Pendleton Marines’ Toys for Tots
toy drive also showed the generosity of
competitors as they filled the giant ‘toy box’
with new, unwrapped toys as they checked
in for their heats.
The waves were on the weak side, and
true to form for T Street, a bit tricky. But
that didn’t hamper the performances by this
talented group of surfers as they displayed
wave after wave of high scoring maneuvers
both critical, in the classic style, and progressive, with high-flying aerials.
San Clemente’s Tia Blanco (Girls U16)
and Colt Ward (Boys U18) capitalized on the
home break advantage, battling their way
through heats filled with some of the best
surfers under 18 on the West Coast to win

Above: Colt Ward of San Clemente won the Boys U18 division at the Surfing America Prime contest at T Street
Beach, December 8-9. Photo by Jack McDaniel

their divisions at the invitation only event.
Blanco also took a second-place finish in
the Girls U18 and was joined on the podium
by fellow San Clemente surfer Malia Osterkamp in fourth. Josh Benjoya of Dana Point
took the fourth-place spot in Boys U18.
Day two of the event was webcast live
through a partnership with iBN Sports
Network and The Surf Channel. The playby-play was expertly called by PacSun USA
Surf Team coach Ryan Simmons and big
wave pro surfer Peter Mel. Surf Channel
network reporters were on hand to interview heat winning surfers following each
round, as well.
If you weren’t able the action live, no
worries, all of the exciting footage will be
available on demand via a link through
the Surfing America website at www.

surfingamerica.org or directly via the
iBN Sports Network YouTube channel at
www.youtube.com/ibnsportsnetwork. The
Surfing America website and Facebook
page have also been loaded up with great
photos from the event, thanks to official
photographer Jack McDaniel.
Wildcard slots into the upcoming event
No. 3 of the three-contest American Pro
Surfing Series set for Saturday in Huntington Beach were up for grabs, raising
the stakes a bit for the eldest age divisions
in the Prime contest. The wildcards were
awarded to Girls U18 winner Samantha
Lamirand of Cardiff and Boys U18 winner
Kanoa Igarashi of Huntington Beach.
The next Surfing America Prime West
contest is set for January 20 and 21 in
Santa Cruz. DP

Surfer’s Journal Supports Local Artists’ Youth Empowerment Program

T

he Surfer’s Journal, founded by San
Clemente residents Steve and Debbee
Pezman over 21 years ago, has named
nonprofit Loveart& as the recipient of its 1%
for the Planet program donation.
1% for the Planet, established by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Blue
Ribbon Flies owner Craig Mathews, challenges businesses to contribute 1 percent of
their gross annual sales to environmentally
Dana Point Times December 14–20, 2012

The two, in their signature orange
Loveart& van, bring workshops to classrooms, community centers and after school
programs. They also work with corporate
sponsor Cali Bamboo to develop sustainability workshops.
For more information, see www.loveartand.org, www.surfersjournal.com and
www.onepercentfortheplanet.org. DP

SURF FORECAST
Water Temp: 59-61˚F
Water visibility, conditions: Local: 10-12’+
fair; Catalina: 15-25’+ fair-good
Forecast: Modest blend of mid-period
West-Northwest swell, Northwest windswell, and minor Southern Hemi swell
is backing down Friday and through the
weekend. The surf will remain in the 2-3’
range for many breaks, with slightly larger
sets at breaks best exposed to the swell
combo. Conditions remain a little dicey on
Friday, then become more favorable over
the weekend. Check out Surfline for details!